Bubble's Story

Bubbles was a small turtle, hatched just two weeks ago. She was a sweet little thing, but always playing tricks on the other members of her family. She had a mask and would often swim out from behind wrecked ships and yell ‘Boo!’

But her parents and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles were worried about her. It wasn’t natural for any of that specific family to be so energetic and such a trickster. Most of them were very serious and hardworking.

Eventually, when Bubbles had made her father jump for the fourth time in two hours, he got cross. This had never happened before. But now he was really cross, and Bubbles grew scared, she swam off, crying and sheltered in the comforting darkness of one of the sunken ships. She wasn’t ever scared of the dark, but really loved it. When she’d been one or two days old, her mother had told her of Mira, the Sky Mother. It was she who protected everyone and everything. It was often told how Mira came to Earth and gathered some special animals, to be Shamans in her lush green world of Jamaa. Jamaa was unfortunately under threat of two-legs, or humans as they were sometimes known. Also phantoms were always trying to bring destruction to Jamaa. They didn’t work with the two-legs but they were just as bad. What Bubbles wanted more than anything else was to become a Shaman, to help, cure, care, sing and, most importantly, love. For she felt she didn’t fit in here, on Earth. There was no one like her. She gave a small sigh, and bubbles floated to the surface of the water. She decided to do a little of her favourite hobby; bubble blowing. She blew bubbles through her nose and they floated to the surface in different patterns. Lines, groups, single or in twos and threes. She had totally mastered bubble blowing, and had even created her own special bubble signature, which she marked every set of bubble blowing with. She did this bubble by blowing quickly three times through her nose and once with her mouth. A large, shiny, pink, blue, green and yellow bubble floated to the surface and popped. Bubbles watched it and gave a small smile. All of a sudden the water around her began to churn; a whirlpool! Bubbles knew whirlpools were dangerous for fish, for they could be flung out of the water and suffocate. But the only danger for turtles was getting lost. Suddenly Bubbles noticed something; there were flashes of blue, pink and yellow in the whirlpool. Bubbles could only think of one thing that made electrical flashes like that; phantoms! Bubbles cried out, and swam as fast as she could back to her family’s cave. But she couldn’t find it! The whirlpool has pushed her un-knowingly out of the area of sea which she knew! Staring around hopelessly she decided to go to the surface and see if she could find her bearings. Splash! She broke the surface and looked around the rippling water, but there was nothing in sight, apart from two things. One was the cloud of phantoms moving steadily towards the West, electrical flashes moving across the swarm. And the second thing was a mist which was coming from East. A mist in the shape of a bird. Bubbles stopped and watched it, not exactly knowing why she did. She felt excitement mounting in her as the mist-bird stopped two meters away from her. All of a sudden the mist transformed into a real, solid feathery grey-blue heron!

‘Little one,’ began the heron. ‘I am Mira, the Sky Mother.’

‘I know,’ said Bubbles, unsure of what to say next. But inside she felt happy, her spirit seemed to be bursting with joy; she had met Mira!

‘Bubbles,’ she said, ‘it is time for you to leave.’

‘Leave!’ said Bubbles, ‘B-b-but I wanted to talk a little more…’ she gave a small sob.

Mira smiled kindly and said ‘Do not be afraid, young one. I did not mean leave me. I meant leave here.’

‘Leave here?’ said Bubbles in astonishment. ‘But where would I go?’

‘Jamaa,’ said the Sky Mother softly.

Bubbles was amazed; go to Jamaa! The dream of her life!

‘You would be a Shaman, clever one. A Shaman is someone who would help, cure, care, sing and, most importantly, love,’ Mira smiled.

Bubbles stared at her, ‘I said exactly those words earlier!’ she said.

Mira seemed impressed. ‘You have a great knowledge within you. In Jamaa you would be able to use it wisely and widely. Will you come?’

Bubbles nodded eagerly.

Mira spread her wings, and two waves arose in front of them, and crashed together, forming a whirlpool. Mira held Bubbles’s fin and together they plunged in. ~Ancient Animal Jam Legend, created by Kinyonga